#CJSReads2017 REVIEW: Seed by Ania Ahlborn

As you've already known from past posts, Ania is one of my favorite horror authors. Jessica, Sam and I decided to read her debut novel, Seed, in anticipation of her latest book, The Devil Crept In, coming out today! See my review here along with a list of all her other books and their synopses.

Jack Winter has spent his entire life running from something no one else can see. His childhood is his darkest secret, but after a near fatal accident along a deserted road, the darkness he was sure he’d escaped rears its ugly head… and smiles.

But this time, he isn’t the only one who sees the soulless eyes of his past. This time, his six-year-old daughter Charlie leans into his ear and whispers: Daddy, I saw it too.

And then she begins to change.

Faced with reliving the nightmares of his childhood, Jack watches his daughter spiral into the shadows that had nearly consumed him twenty years before.

But Charlie isn’t the only one who’s changing.

Jack never outran the darkness. It’s been with him all along.

And it’s hungrier than ever.

A new breed of dark fiction: the subtlety of Seed will haunt you, and the end will wickedly satisfy.

Jessica's Thoughts:5 / 5 Stars

If you like horror or anything creepy, then I highly recommend this book! I give this 5/5 stars!This is the second book by Ania that I've read and they've both been amazing.

"I've always been here, and I'll never leave." Jack is on the run from his childhood, along with something horrific chasing after him. He thought for sure he was leaving his nightmare behind him forever. After surviving a violent car crash, he and his family are amazed to walk away unharmed, but Jack is not impressed. Instead he is reminded of something familiar - the profound evil he uncovered as a child was back. This time, it was after his daughter. Jack notices things happening to his daughter that he once experienced first hand.

'The thing that crouched at his beside with soulless eyes and grinning, razor-sharp teeth is back with plans for Jack and his angelic youngest daughter, and a chilling promise: I've always been here, and I'll never leave.' (back of the book)

This book makes you second guess what really made those bumps in the middle of the night, and if there really was anything lurking in that shadow down the hall. I highly recommend this!

I am completely flabbergasted each time I finish an Ania Ahlborn novel; it never ceases to amaze me how much I get sucked into her writing. Seed was no exception. In honour of Ahlborn’s newest release, releasing TODAY, #cjsreads decided to do a throwback and buddy read her first published work. If you want a seriously creepy read, then Seed should be at the top of your list.

The novel opens with Jack, a man struggling with past demons, and his family in a car accident. After the accident, Jack and his wife start noticing a difference in their youngest daughter, Charlie. As Charlie’s condition worsens, Jack is forced to relive nightmares of his childhood. Something that almost consumed him twenty years earlier...too bad it never actually left. What happens when the thing that goes bump in the night is the thing you are supposed to love the most?

Creepy kid. Demonic possession. What more do you want from a horror novel really?

The novel is told through the perspective of Jack Winter as he watches his daughter slowly succumb to the same “problem” that plagued him as a child. I was on the edge of my seat as the story unfolded, each passing page creepier than the last. This one combines the slow, building horror and descriptive language that I have come to love with Ahlborn’s work and the classic components of a horror story.

5/5 creepy child stars. I don’t know how well I’ll be sleeping tonight.

Jack fled his home as a kid, picked up by a truck driver and never looked back. He built a new life with a wife he loves and two daughters that are his world. After a car crash, where he spotted two glowing eyes that seemed eerily familiar, his youngest daughter, Charlie, begins to act odd... and gets worse with each passing day. His past has caught up to him and is using his daughter to pull him back in the game. You just can't run away from shadows - they're EVERYWHERE.

There's something just so damn creepy about evil children. Don't ya think? I'm so glad that I reread this book. It's a reminder of how awesome of a writer I consider Ania. Especially as a debut novel! It pulled me in from the first chapter and kept my attention throughout. I didn't get quite the creep factor as I did from the first read, but that's only because I knew what I was walking into. I'm still looking around my room right now, wondering what could be hiding in any of my shadows. Ok, so maybe I did just creep myself out again! Perfect reread before her new book, The Devil Crept In, comes out. Extremely fitting.. and if you've read both, you know exactly what I'm talking about! Upping my original 4 star rating to 5 full creepy stars.